


Maybe Seeing Double

by Boomjob



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Origin Story, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff and Angst, Identity Reveal, Lup is dense and doesnt recognize barry, Origin Story, Rated teen for swearing thats it tho i promise, Secret Identity, if u squint theres other ships, okay so secret identity isnt really the word for it but its close, this is basically sitcom-level comedy of trying to be two places at once
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2019-02-09 11:21:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12886800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boomjob/pseuds/Boomjob
Summary: Barry didn't intend to lead a double life. He just wanted to be Barry. But a slip of the tongue around a cute girl gave him the name Sildar Halwinter and he sure doesn't have the guts to tell her its wrong. It'll be fine, everything's fine, now he just has to survive gym without being discovered...Lup doesn't know who this new Barry guy is but she must have a type. He looks a lot like Sildar from the pasta accident, but there's no way they're the same, they both act different and have different names. Taako would laugh his ass off if he knew she liked TWO nerdy science guys, but they're both just friends. Nothing else about that, no sir...





	1. Cheesy One Liners and Gym Class Intros

**Author's Note:**

> I'll try to update Tuesdays and Fridays!

Barry Bluejeans has accepted the fact that he wasn’t special. He wasn’t the most handsome, the most smart, the best at magic, he was… average. And he was fine with that. He was, however, good at what he did, and he liked what he did. His new recruitment to the IPRE training school was one of his biggest accomplishments. After working for a research facility focusing on planear travel, IPRE approached him asking if he’d like to work with the latest technology involving the Light. Of course he said yes.

Lup Taaco didn’t have future plans for a long time. She had her priorities, sure, she had Taako, and staying safe. Elves had quite a bit of time on their hands to figure things out, she wouldn’t lie. And you told her even 50 years ago that she’d be asked by a short guy to study arcana for a space nerd camp? She wouldn’t have been surprised. The lack of life structure wasn’t bad, the siblings had lived on the streets for longer than they liked. But it’s definitely something she’d do, given only if Taako came, too. 

Their first meeting had been a whirlwind of a time. On the very first day of his transfer to the IPRE freshman recruit work schedule, he met her through a chance encounter of spilling an entire plate of pasta on both of them. Barry hadn’t been looking where he was walking and he doubts Lup was either, but in a matter of seconds the plate had clattered to the floor with alfredo sauce covering both of their robes. Well, she had a jacket. And… a robe too? Nevertheless, he was utterly mortified. He slowly looked up to meet her sparkling eyes a decent few inches higher than his and she, she… Laughed? And kept laughing before she finally spoke.

“That was the cheesiest greeting I’ve ever seen. A simple name drop would’ve done, homedog.”

Barry heard a groan next to the whole scene as an almost identical version of the sauce-covered elf rolled his eyes. He wore the same jacket-robe combo with his hair in a loose french braid and lipstick the color of dark wine, standing with his arms crossed and hips angled. Chancing a look back at the first elf, he saw she had nearly the same facial features, but with what can only be described as a different temperature. She was warm, her hair a wild bunch of dark curls with dip-dyed red tips, and the same deep tan skin as the other but without the cool undertones. She was lively, despite her situation, and kind.

“Cmon, you can introduce yourself while we clean up. Taako, save me a seat? Be back in a minute, kay bro?” Taako, the elf with the french braid, gave a small casual hum before walking off in what can only be called a strut. 

Barry’s head was reeling. Usually he’d be knee-deep in bully-town by now, hanging from a flag pole for even bumping into someone as radiant as her. He blinked the flashback away in time to notice he was being pulled towards a bathroom. He jumped and quickly snapped his wrist back before backing from her and stammering.

“I-I, uh, I, o-oh god, I’m so sorry! I really didn’t mean it I’ll pay for it to be cleaned, I was just, I mean, I-I can, I-” and stopped abruptly as a rough hand covered his mouth.

She held there for a moment, looking deeply into his eyes. She was… calm, and laughed a little again. “Hi, my name is Lup Taaco. I’m a new IPRE recruit. I’m not mad about the pasta thing and honestly it was, kind of really funny. I’m gonna take my hand away, and then it’s your turn. Got it m’dude?” He nodded slowly as she dropped her hand, “Cool, now go ahead.”

Something about her hybrid introduction/command compelled Barry to calm himself. She was comfortable, so it would be rude of him to not feel the same. Okay. He took a breath, “M-my name is, u-uh...” Shit, why wouldn’t his tongue work? He was still shaking slightly. She looked at him with so much patience, why couldn’t his thoughts form with that same ease?

“Sildar,” Fuck, what was he saying?? “H-Halwinter.” Oh my god, if Barry died right now it would be just too little too late. Who the fuck was Sildar Halwinter??

“Hot stuff, Sildar. Now lets hurry, this alfredo is starting to dry.” And with that, Barry was dragged into the girl’s bathroom while Lup muttered something about preferring red tomato sauce spills on her red clothing. They spent the next five minutes chatting in front of the sinks about anything, from their positions at the facility to where they wanted to go. The pressure clinging to the pit of Barry’s stomach receded, as the gentle conversation slowly swept him away faster than the water running down the drain. He felt more relaxed talking with her, she was genuinely nice. Barry recognized three, no, four very important things on that day:

One, he never wanted to leave this moment with her,  
Two, he was blushing up a storm,  
Three, he didn’t hear what she said before leaving,  
Four, he was still in the girls bathroom. 

Imagine his surprise when she not only didn’t recognize him, but didn’t remember his terrible fake name on the first day of training, two weeks later. 

\----

A sunny day like that day called for a bit of outdoor, heart-pounding, leg-stretching workouts courtesy of the long, rounded rubber track just outside of the IPRE’s observatory. Sun wasn’t the unfamiliar concept to Barry here, physical exercise was. His impending death would be at the hands of the instructor. 

Standing just outside the locker room door he blinked at the harsh sunlight. The grass was a bright green, and the various laboratories and buildings could be seen from atop the campus hill. The sun flared in his glasses as they started turning from transparent to dark sunglasses-like lenses, and the world became visible. Transition lenses really were worth the money.

He scanned the crowd seeing all the different recruits, varying in everything from race to personality. Some were in colorful leggings, others had on combat boots, but all were wearing the customary standard red IPRE training shirt received at orientation. 

Halfway to the group in the field, walking with a few other stragglers from the locker room, Barry notices out of the corner of his eye a hand shoot up and wave frantically. It was big and the arm was covered in hair, connected to a really beefy teenager that Barry… vaguely recognized? Barry checked his six to make sure the guy wasn’t waving to someone else before setting course to kneel next to him. He finished tucking his shirt into his baggy jean shorts right before finding a spot.

The group was circled around the instructor in the center checking over her clipboard before training officially started. The huge teenager was one of them, now clapping him on the back as the most aggressive greeting Barry ever encountered, like a bear trying to be friendly. Good intentions, lots of strength. 

“Hey! We met at orientation, right? Good to see another human!” he whispered, not quite loud enough to be heard by every person there but pretty close above the general din of the other members, “Oh! Nothing wrong with you Lup, but like, human things. You get it.”

Barry’s heart rate spiked at the one-syllable name. He hadn’t gotten to have a full, real conversation with Lup since the alfredo incident, and only managed to give a small wave to her from across the cafeteria (which she didn’t actually see). Yet here she was, kneeling on the other side of Magnus in the same standard shirt (three sizes smaller than Barry’s), among a sea of other recruits also wearing these same shirts. He couldn’t believe his luck. Or his curse, now he had to think of things to say! What could you even say to someone like her?? Especially after he zoned out on her in the girls bathroom two weeks ago??

“Nah I get it, never had to worry bout that, on account of y’know, always having Taako with me. Didn’t catch your name, slick, what do they call you?”

Barry was stunned. No, he was… sad that she didn’t remember. She didn’t remember him? But he wasn’t sad. First, that meant she didn’t remember his terrible slip-up resulting in his alter-ego Sildar taking his place. On the other hand, she didn’t remember their conversations in the bathroom… But again, she ALSO didn’t remember that he virtually ruined her uniform jacket with shitty fantasy Ragu sauce. His thoughts flopped in his skull like a giant pancake and almost missed the large teen speak again.

“This is Barry, Barry Bluejeans. Hard to forget a name like that.” He turned to Barry still sinking in his confusion quicksand-puddle and stuck out his hand to shake. “I’m Magnus Burnsides, just to refresh. Saves all the awkward guessing.” And like a safety rope, Magnus’s strong grip pulled Barry from his thoughts back to reality, where he was just introduced by his real name.

“Great name for a stud like that, wearing sunglasses in training class,” she whispered back to them. What were sunglasses? Who was he again? Did she just call him a stud?

Focusing again, he pulled enough energy together again before speaking. Rehearsing it in his head a few times first, he planned to tell her these were just transition lenses. Transition lenses.  
“O-o-oh, n-no, I n-need these to-” Dammit.

“BLUEJEANS.”

“h-HERE!” Barry quickly yelled for attendance. Anything to drag him from his stammering mess he called a sentence. What was it about her that made it physically impossible for him to think?? Sure, she was super nice, and pretty, and had a passion for her future, and loved her brother, and had shared an intimate conversation in the bathroom with him… but that wasn’t anything to get worked up on.

He must have zoned out again. When he turned back, Magnus and Lup had already gone back to mild conversation, but he picked up some bits and pieces.

“... that new ship! Man I can’t wait to see it when it’s done. Here!” Magnus yelled at the last part. 

“I know, right? Taako and ch’girl are getting on that sucker no matter what it takes, we can do it and it’s all or nothin, both Taaco’s or neither,” Lup replied. Her head was ducked low with Magnus’s as they shared this conversation that Barry really shouldn’t interrupt in, no sir, he’s good.

“Barry!” Damn. “You’re on the leading research team for the uh, that intergalactic stuff? Barry’s super smart, during orientation he was one of the ones that stood up to represent the top 1% for the entrance exam.” Magnus sure was excitable, he’d have to admit.

“No shit? Dang, Joe Cool Bluejeans over here is a smarty-pants, huh? I met someone recently on the research team, too.” 

Lup took a long look at the new guy. He was nice, but he tucked his shirt in for the IPRE equivalent of gym class and that, that wouldn’t do. His chestnut hair was scruffy, his arms looked soft and he probably had never set foot outside of a library. His sunglasses obscured his eyes, but his emotions weren’t lost. He was as open as the books he studied. Overall, he looked like he needed a hug. Or maybe, she just wanted to hug him? Lup decided there and then she was gonna keep this Barry character around, she liked this one. He was cute. He just needed a little more confidence.


	2. Zoning Out and Bathroom Laughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo! It's Tuesday here take some Blupjeans. fantasy gym class and "Lup Is An Actual Goddess." This fic is really fun to write, we're getting into the secret identity part this chapter. rip barry/sildar, boy got it bad

“Alright everyone, listen up!” The three were directed to the instructor at the center of the circle. She was a large dragonborn woman wearing a red polo shirt and khaki shorts, and if she flexed they’d be torn to shreds by the combined power of her spikes and muscles. “Welcome to your official first day of training! This is the introductory course for your mandatory fitness requirement, but advanced courses will be offered to those that either excel in athletics or are looking for jobs in security!”

“Oh oh, guys that’s me!” Magnus whispered. 

“For most of you, it’s good to remember how important exercise can be! For the wellbeing of yourself and others! According to our very own head director of our newest ship, Captain Davenport says…..” Barry zoned out. It was the same cookie cutter thing every buff gym rat says, ‘exercise or you’ll die early’ or something. He wondered if Lup ever thought that. 

Back on that day they met, during their time in the bathroom, it felt so natural talking to her after he really met her. She made a good first impression, obviously, her smile could blind half a room, but it was… more than that. She was more than just a pretty face. She was interesting to talk to.

“So, what do you do around here, Sildar?”

“h-Huh?”

Barry stood in front of a white sink in the girls bathroom, scrubbing at his robe with a scratchy brown paper towel and foamy hand soap. Lup stood two sinks away, closer to the hand dryer. Looking back at him from her jacket, she asked again, “Y’know, what’s your big plans? Where do you work?”

“...Research team...” What else? That’s it? That’s all you got to say, Bluejeans? He straightened up before speaking into the mirror, “I’m working on finding out what else is… out there.”

“Well when you figure out what it is, tell me, cuz I wanna be one of the first ones to see it.”

Barry paused for a second before looking back down at his shirt. He grabbed a fist full of paper towels and started scrubbing hard, he hated the scent of old cheese and god forbid he have to deal with it on his uniform.

“Oh hell Sildar, have you never cleaned clothes in your life? You’re supposed to pinch before you scrub, kid.” She looked over from her running faucet and damp jacket with those mischievous eyes, and for a second Barry’s heart skipped a beat. “Here, like this.” 

She closed the gap between them in one long stride, taking the hem of his shirt in her left and his cleaning supplies in her right. She started pinching at the mess on his shirt like she’s been doing for her own, slowly making progress on the congealed alfredo. 

She was inches from his face now. Up close, she had incredibly light freckles across the bridge of her nose, and her ears poked out from the deep curls of her hair. Barry stood there dumbfounded, and utterly surprised that he didn't combust from from blushing. He couldn’t let the moment go stale. He opened his mouth, but had no idea what to say. More pressure was built onto first conversations than conversations trying to answer a sphinx's riddle. 

“Have you ever heard of the Light of creation?” He finally blurted out.

Lup stopped her pinching to flit her eyes from the shirt to his own baby blues, briefly spotting her reflection in his thick frames. He seemed to have calmed down from earlier when he was worried she was gonna steal his lunch money or whatever, poor guy. His question came suddenly, but Lup was prepared.

“Duh, it’s only one of the greatest technological discoveries of the era. With it as a tool we may very well be colonizing the universe with its wide variety of applications,” she smirked at his widened eyes through those nerdy glasses and couldn’t keep her deadpan long enough to seem serious. She broke her academic facade and let out a small laugh.

He loved talking about the light of creation. It’s true, the Light was the biggest discovery their world had ever come across, propelling them faster towards a brighter future. “That’s… pretty much how I would have put it, though to call it a tool m-might be, uh… selling it short?” 

“Oh? I’m all ears, do tell. I’ve only ever seen it as a ticket off this planet.” She looked back down to scrubbing at his jacket, going through the motions with no actual intent on cleaning, just busying her hands to hear his ideas. She liked the proximity, he blushed every time she shifted sides to clean his ruined robe. He was cute, but a little short. She could work with that, lots of people were short when next to her. He was smart too, had to be in the top 1% to be a research team member working with the Light. 

“Well, the Light is the whole reason we know about bonds in the first place. S-so, to, um, to call it a ‘tool’ would, ah, imply that we had anything to do with the discoveries it led us to.”

“But didn’t the Light just guide us towards these ideas? You’re selling yourself short by saying this object did everything for you, darling. Don’t forget everything you did, the Light sure as hell isn’t building the Starblaster all by its inanimate self.”

Every academic mind working on the Light and its discoveries swirled in his head, a mixture of role models yelling about how they were nothing before the Light had come, how their world was moving to new heights at a rapid pace they’d only dreamt of. Lup was suggesting… that they… that he, was worth something compared to the Light, and it made Barry feel… special. And warm. Oh boy he was blushing again. Not that he had stopped, of course.

She stopped scrubbing at his shirt and went to wash her hands, throwing away the gross paper towels in one motion. Barry blinked a few times to make sure he hadn’t melted into the floor, or that this wasn’t a dream. He turned back to look at his robes, smeared with small stretches of sauce and drenched with water. Sighing, he started to take it off. He’s have to be back in his lab coat soon, anyway, He’d just have to live with wearing his white t-shirt for now.

Lup would be lying if she said she didn’t stare at Sildar taking off his robe. He wasn’t naked or anything, and she didn’t think she was being weird, but he skewed his glasses and messed up his hair when he took it off. This, plus his soft demeanor and cute lil tum was enough to make her… blush? Fuck, she hadn’d blushed in a long time. He was smart and nice looking? A total crime. 

“Looks like that’s about all we can do without a heavy duty cleaner,” he concluded, holding out his messy robe, “So dumb, I ordered alfredo pasta and I can't even eat dairy...” She looked at him, and he was rewarded with the most personality-infused laugh his ears ever heard.

It started small, and tumbled out like an avalanche of laughter from the girl four inches up. She curled her muscular shoulders slightly and let loose, balancing on the sink and unashamed of the small snorts and hiccups accenting each sharp laugh and intake of breath from her full lips. Lup’s eyes were shut tight by the overwhelming energy and for the first time, Barry could see her eyeshadow. Time seemed to slow while she brushed her hair out of her eyes and behind pointed ears, the dark strands pulled up and atop her head where her hand rested. It felt like he watched a sculpture of a goddess solidify into its final pose, as she held herself up at her tallest and let one last giggle escape, eyes open and holding his gaze. It only lasted seconds and was over too soon.

She couldn’t help it, he was so sweet! All that energy spent on a meal he probably wasn't even going to eat. Its only purpose was to bring them together. When she stopped and finally had enough control to look at him again, his entire face was red, his eyes glazed over and mouth slightly agape.

“This was fun, Sildar. Sorry about your lunch but thanks for the company.” He made no motion to answer, so she continued, taking a step closer, “Maybe we can meet up soon, come visit in the arcana department sometime.” She smiled as he slowly closed his mouth and swallowed deeply before nodding slowly, still not making eye contact and zoned out so hard. 

“Okay, well, see ya around.” She paused to look at him one last time, hands clasped behind her back, before turning to leave. Looking back as she walked out, she tried to remember his face, but she was always bad at that. She’d remember. She knew she would.

Barry shook his head after he realized the door behind her closed and he hadn’t actually heard any of what she said. He only saw her laugh on repeat in his memory, reverberating in his ears like a bombshell’s explosion ringing. He slowly dragged his feet out of the bathroom with his robe behind him. SLiding down the hallway wall, he sat down in the empty stretch as it dawned on him he didn’t know how to find her, and that this chance encounter might have been his last.


	3. Shit-Talking and Ass Slapping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dreaded timed mile this chapter, Lup gets competitive with Magnus, Barry tries to keep up with the athletic duo in more ways than one. Lup gets... handsy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ugggggghhhhhhhhhhh i titled the last chapter wrong, my bad! Made a change to it. Anyway, its friday! Sorry if i disappointed anyone on tuesday by titling it with "ass slapping" in it, then delivering no such thing. Don't worry tho, you'll get the goods today. 
> 
> The dreaded timed mile this chapter, Lup gets competitive with Magnus, Barry tries to keep up with the athletic duo in more ways than one.

“Today we’ll be doing a timed mile to test your athletic ability and gain a good average for the class!” Barry snapped back to reality from his flashback of his meeting with Lup. He still couldn’t believe he managed to find her again, after all that time. “You’ll be doing four laps around this track at an even and comfortable pace! It’s good to push yourself but only towards the end of your run! If you forgot a water, there’s a jug with small paper cups for you, and DON’T forget a bottle again! Five minutes to stretch then line up!”

Some stayed sitting in place to do leg stretches, others stood and did high-knees or arm pulls. Barry hoisted himself up with Magnus and Lup, starting to warm up. He was a scientist, not a complete shut-in, he knew what warm up stretches were. Reaching his arm up and bending his left arm to grab his right elbow, he took a deep breath and counted to ten. Well, three before he caught Lup looking at him. Of course he blushed, he always blushed. He was definitely blushing.

She smirked and began her own stretching, lifting her foot behind her and stretching her quad while balancing on one foot. “So Barry, what building are you in? Maggie I know wants to be a security head so he’s in the barracks a lot, but where do you call a workspace, Bluejeans?” She switched feet.

“Oh, uh, I’m on the research team, in the C block lab.”

“Hey, I met someone on the research team! He worked with the Light. Not sure what lab he was in, but I’m in C block too. Actually…” she put both feet down and crossed one arm over her chest to pull into a body stretch, “You kinda look like the guy…” Barry felt his face heat up again as she looked him over. “Small world!” Lup laughed and switched arms.

“Y-yeah, really, really small…” Lup checked him again as he bent down to reach his toes. He really did seem familiar. Maybe she just had a type. She’s met lots of nerdy guys here, she tends to remember them the most. Then again, this place was filled to the goddamn brim with nerds, she’d be concerned if it wasn't. Even Magnus counts as a nerd, dudes got a crazy good knowledge on zoology and animal handling. Taako would laugh if he knew she had a liking for short, chubby, nice scientists. At least his shirt came untucked when he lifted his arms up, so that was progress. She’d have to tell Lucy about him.

“Hey I hope you guys don’t mind, but I don’t really have any intention on jogging with groups of people. Sometimes it’s nice to chat and run but I’ve gotta be the first to finish this race.” Magnus finished his hamstring warm ups and stood tall with his fists on his hips, smiling. “Assert dominance, gain a reputation, all that thunder and jazz, you get it.”

“Oh-ho-ho, what makes you think you’ll come in first, big guy?” Lup asked from behind her bent elbow.

“Uhhhhh, do you SEE my muscles?” Magnus flexes as he smirks, proudly displaying his guns. Damn, he’s gonna make a great security officer.

Lup straightens to look at Magnus, both were about eye level with one another, but Lup’s large flowing ponytail behind her was set high and maybe gave her an unfair advantage. “Oh yeah?” She poked him in the chest and leaned in close to his face, giving a shit-eating grin powerful enough to match her game-talk, “A tank ain’t faster than a rad motorcycle, my dude.”

“Then it’s a good thing we’re running and not riding those,” Magnus shot back with the same confidence.

“... You're not good at this shit-talking thing.”

“Nope, but I’m damn good at running.”

“Alright then, saddle up pony boy, may the best runner win!” They both spit into their hand and shook. Barry doubted there wasn't some form of prior planning that went into that performance.

“Five minutes are up! Line up by the track and don’t start until my whistle is blown! Go at your own pace! Make sure you stretched enough and your shoes are tied!” The instructor started to move towards the track on the outside of the field, and the group followed with Lup and Magnus lightly shoving each other.

Barry could only watch as they clashed, athletic friendly rivals battling for top of the class before class itself really even begun. He fell towards the back of the group, drowning in the crowd, knowing full well he wouldn’t be in the front for very long anyway, even if he started there.

“Cmon Barry, whatcha all the way back there for?” It was Lup, broken away from her verbal brawl with Magnus to remember he was there. She tugged on his wrist to bring him to the front of the group with them, and suddenly it was like he was in the hallway again, on that day two weeks ago. Her hair was up this time and he could see her ears easier, her IPRE shirt with black running shorts and bright sneakers showing her toned muscles. She had a strong grip, tugging him through the crowd of other people wanting to get ahead on the starting line.

“Okay remember!” A voice boomed, “four laps, and I want one cool down lap, too! Just walk the fifth lap, nobody’s cramping up today on my watch!”

He was squished between Lup and another person taller than him at the very front of the line. God, now he was nervous! Lup was here, he was already starting to sweat, and everyone could see him! What was he doing?? He was in jeans for crying out loud!

*TWEEEEET!*

And Barry ran.

———-

“I definitely crossed first!”

“Absolutely not, meathead! You see my last fifty sprint on you? Inside lane and everything!”

“Just cuz you pulled a Secretariat doesn’t mean I wasn’t leading the whole time-“

“Doesn’t mean you won, either!” Lup stuck her tongue out as Magnus flung a paper cup full of water at her from the nearby water cooler. She gasped and shoved him hard, and if it had been anybody else they would have tumbled ass first into the track.

Barry sat collapsed on the bleachers after a mile timed at about eleven minutes, probably the fastest he had ever run. His shirt clung to him like wet seran wrap and his jeans were uncomfortable, his hair was plastered down and his arms were resting above his head. Eleven wasn’t that bad, he actually came out in the first half of the group!

Though of course that didn’t stop Lup and Magnus from lapping him on their last leg. Magnus passed by and cheered for him while powering on, a breathy “good job!” while Lup, Lup gave… Lup gave, gave him, oh boy, Barry started thinking about it again and he didn’t think his face was capable of getting warmer but damn it sure did.

Lup gave him a hard slap to the ass that almost sent him careening off the track. He nearly tripped on his laces when he felt it, then nearly choked on his own breathe when he saw who it was. She was moving so fast he didn’t even see if she had a reaction, just her large amount of red dip-dyed curls swaying back and forth with each long step, bouncing up slightly as well. As soon as she did it, she sped off even faster than before.

He stared in astonishment and would have forgotten to breath had it not been for the sheer necessity of breathing at that very moment. His tinted glasses almost slipped from his face as his pace slowed and his eyes stayed wide, before the rushing in his ears quieted enough to hear other footsteps, other recruits, starting to catch him.

Barry only barely managed to keep his pace up, even maybe speed up after that, he knew he couldn’t catch Lup but the least he could do is work his best for his own benefit.

He may be sitting in a puddle of his own sweat now, but he knows he ran a good mile at least, nothing attractive about it but it felt good.

••••

Lup never liked to think she was a show off. It wasn’t becoming, but nobody could deny that sometimes the spotlight felt good. She didn’t mean to get that spotlight feeling from Barry during her last lap but again, it felt really good.

She knew she could catch Magnus before the mile was over, but making a show of it is the best part. Magnus pulled ahead early on with a lot of steam and vigor, then kept even the rest of the way. Amateur move, honestly, he was built for a weight room, not a track. His endurance was impressive either way, but Lup saved her energy for the last lap, keeping strong for the whole run.

The arcana department didn’t give requirements for athletics like the security department did, but years on the run with Taako had kept her, both of them, in pretty good shape. Magic was helpful in their adult years, but not as helpful as a healthy body was. Lup’s magic had always kept them warm, Taako’s magic had always kept them fed. Neither kept them sheltered, so a good set of legs kept them moving. Taako was more of a gymnast type though, she’d admit. Good flip wizard shit.

On that last lap, Magnus was about a quarter of track ahead of her. She kept her eyes locked on him, seeing her goal and crushing it. She hit the track, sneakers pounding into the cracked rubber and upping her speed. She’d catch him, no doubt. Strands of hair fell in her face as she changed to collected breathing, in and out through her mouth with her back straight and legs pumping.

Rounding the first bend and she spotted denim. Magnus said something small to Barry as he trucked on, slowly but surely. With Barry’s small nod of recognition, Magnus lapped him on his way to the finish.

If life was a competition, then this was too. Magnus was bold with making friends, but still polite. He watched his footing for whose toes not to step on, and who to sweep off their feet. Lup, though, Lup wanted to be quick about it. Ride or die, if you were with her you were with her. In deciding to keep him around, Barry was with her. So in this competition that Magnus unknowingly set, Lup had to win.

50 feet away, 30 feet away, she had to think of something. 20 feet away, she couldn’t just copy Magnus, think, what would Taako do? Taako was way better at making friends, what would be good? 10 feet away and slowly closing, she got it.

She wound one tired arm up, shoulder level and let it hover while quietly jogging just behind him, and smacked her new friends ass so quickly she almost thought she missed if not for the scratchy sting his jeans left on her hand. That was a good friend thing to do, right? She could at least rest easy knowing she 100% beat Magnus. Speaking of, she had another competition to win.

Surging forward with renewed energy, Lup leaned into her run with Magnus and only half a track left. Duh, of course she won, and she knew she had Barry as witness after his wake-up call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been planning for this to get decently long, kind of? I know at least there will be dodge ball. Keep that in mind. See you tuesday!


	4. Cool-Down Talks and Bluejeans Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry gets some good bonding time with Magnus, also stuck in a bleacher. Good times for 2/3 team human. Happy tuesday!

Stomping up the metal stairs with a small sweat towel around his neck, Magnus made a dramatic show of lying down on the bleacher close to the sweaty scientist, hands below his head and looking at the sky. He took up a bit of room while there, but since nobody else was sitting, nobody was really complainin’. 

“So, Mr. Cool guy smarty-pants, who are you behind the shades?” Magnus looked up as best as he could at Barry, sitting back against the second row of metal seating groggily.

“...Huh?” Barry titled his head towards the teen, still recouping after his exercise. 

“Yanno, the sunglasses, why do you wear em? Sure it’s sunny but I saw them almost slip from your face while running like four times, and that was only when I was paying attention.”

“Uh, they’re, uh, they’re my real prescription glasses. For seeing things.” He took his thick rimmed glasses off and squinted, handing them over to Magnus instinctively. Most people wanted to wear them when they asked. “They turn dark in the sunlight.”

Magnus was no different and immediately slipped them on. “Woahhh, how do you even SEE out of these bad boys?” 

Yup, no different. “I’ve needed glasses since I was little, when I hit 25 it was hard to see outside without the shading.” Magnus looked up at the sky for a while, letting them rest on the bridge of his nose. 

Barry still didn’t really know much about Magnus, besides that he had the game to back up his big-talk. He was nice, and even recognized him out of hundreds of recruits just because he stood up in an auditorium. God, why didn’t Lup remember him? He was glad he got to see her again, but not under these… circumstances. Not gym class. And Magnus knew Lup, how’d that happen? What’s Magnus’s secret to being so chummy with people? Whats with you and Lup? 

Magnus piped up, “...Okay, now it’s MY turn to say ‘Huh?’”

Oh shit, Barry said that out loud. Of course he did. Think fast Bluejeans, what would a functioning human say to a functioning human?

Barry stammered, “Y-you know, I came out onto the field and you were already near her. You guys… you know each other long?”

“Oh, uhh, no, well, not really? I’m friends with her brother.”

“Taako?”

“Yeah! Wait, have you met him?”

Whoops, he wasn’t supposed to let on that he’d already met both of them over lunch. “Uhhh no-no, I, um, didn’t Lup say his name?”

Magnus gave him a suspicious glare, but wiped it away almost as quickly as it showed up, “Yeah! They’re twins and they usually do everything together. Wouldn't doubt Taako is waiting inside for her, actually.” He paused before adding, “To be honest, when I walked up to Lup before class I thought it was Taako... then I realized his hair isn't red at the bottom.”

Barry knew there was more to the story so he waited patiently, looking out at the field.

“Taako was the first friend I made here.” Magnus stated, staring up at the cloudless sky behind Barry's shaded lenses, “I really respect how he can see me as such, despite how different we are.”

They both sat in a calm silence for a minute. Barry could feel his heart rate lowering back to normal with each passing second, and Magnus closed his eyes forgetting where he was, lost in thought. Barry wrapped his arm over his eyes to shade them, without his glasses they were starting to hurt. 

He heard Magnus shift from lying down to sit up. Small laughs punctured the silence as Barry peeked out from under his arm to see him looking around with the glasses. 

“HEY LUP!” 

Lup heard her name called from a long distance away. Standing by the water cooler talking with a friend, she spotted a very excited Magnus and a very tired Barry. She waved back and laughed as Barry fell backwards on the bleacher seat with a start.

Lup watched Magnus scramble to help their friend from his fall and she laughed again, watching Magnus frantically ask if he was alright as only the top of his hair peeked out from behind his legs.

“Who’re those guys by the way? I saw you talking with them earlier today in class.”

“Oh yeah, that big sucker that I beat in the race is Magnus, and the nerd that fell is Barry. You’d like them, Luce, I’ll introduce you next class.”

“Magnus looks familiar somehow… I think he’s in the same journalism lecture that Taako and I have.”

“Oh god, Koko complains about that like every day.”

“The subject is cool but I’ll admit the professor is… less than adequate for such a topic.”

“Taako worded it as ‘dumbass windbag.’”

“Yeah that’s about right.” Lucretia laughed at Taako’s antics. Lup knew her brother could be fun, but sometimes the boy had absolutely zero filter. 

“God, shit that’s right, okay I think now is probably a good time to leave then.”

They both finished their water and left for the locker room, looking one last time as Magnus helped Barry out of the bleachers

\----

Squashed between the two metal seating plates with aching shoulder blades and nose practically hitting his knees, Barry fell backwards into the foot rest crevice of the bleachers.

“Jeez Bluejeans are you okay??”

“L-Lup??” His breath was quickened and he felt like he’d run another mile.

“Yeah, she’s over there.”

Barry paused, “...Magnus are you pointing?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Pass me my glasses back and we’ll try again.”

Magnus neatly folded the glasses in one hand and gave them to the folded man in the bleachers. He held his other arm up patiently and kept pointing with his thumb until Barry was able to owlishly blink through the dark lenses, slightly lighter from the commotion. As they settled on his face, the lenses went back to their darkest setting and he peered over his knees to where Lup was… not looking anymore.

Yeah, Barry wasn’t sure what he would have done either way even if she was looking. He was sitting weird in the bleachers a very long ways away from her, not really a good way to converse. He was disappointed still, he wouldn’t lie.

“Hey what’s with the long face? I thought you were friends after today?” Barry noticed that Magnus tilted his head the way a curious dog does, the heavy stubble on his face really solidifying the image. Maybe if he just didn’t answer Magnus would drop it. 

Then, the lightbulb powering Magnus’s head must have popped as he realized what was going on and audibly gasped. Barry saw the teens eyes sparkle and his hands raise to cover his mouth. Despite being much lower and physically further away from Magnus’s face, he could see it plain as day and honestly it scared him.

Magnus went through four emotions at once, cycling through surprise, confusion, acceptance, then finally shit-eating grin that usually only people with dirt on you use. 

“So,” No. “Heyyyy Barry?” He was in hell. “You uhhhhhh….. you got, heh, somethin… somethin for ……... Ms. Taaco?” He drew out the “Ms.” for a long few seconds and ended the sentence with his eyebrows arched and smiling like a toddler, his tongue slightly poking out.

“Oh fuck, I don’t have to take this,” Barry sighed, already blushing like crazy, when he realized, he was stuck. Currently still wedged between the two benches with no means of escape. He was in absolute hell. There were surprisingly less teenagers in hell, but this one big one will have to do. All he could do was hide behind his hands and wish for some freak accident to take him out.

“No, nonono, cmoooon, don’t be like that, look look I’m sorry, I want us to be friends. Forgive me? I won’t bring it up again if you don’t want me to.” Magnus extended his hand out to him with a genuine look of apology on his face. 

Barry hesitated, arms perched on the upper metal bench trying to keep himself from slipping further. He looked up from his spot and sighed, swinging a hand around to grab Magnus’s wrist. “This? This whole helping hand thing? Symbolizes nothing.”

Magnus whispered “It kinda does, bro, don’t worry,” as he hefted Barry to his feet. It was a small struggle, but eventually the blue jeans were freed from the metal.

“Team human?” Magnus held a large hand out for a fist bump.

Barry could have left him right there. He didn’t need someone to pick apart his brain, know his secrets, tell him what to do. Especially not a guy he’d probably never see again in this huge institution after this semester. But… He’d be lying if he didn’t think it would be… nice, to have a friend. And Magnus was just too hard to decline, dopey smile on his face holding out his fist.

With reluctance, Barry mustered up the most half-hearted fist-bump he’d ever given, but Magnus took it. 

“Team human.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter might be late with finals upon us but that's life. I'll try to keep up with the good pace i've had for now but no promises... Enjoy some good friendship writing.


End file.
